Coupling



April 1s, 1933.

L. LE R. RHODES 1904387 COUPLING Filed- March 50, 1952 fis the bau.

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STM'ESY LEON LE ROY RHOD-S, QF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA l courniue i A Application ne@ nmneaiesa serial No. 601,987.

This invention relates to couplings for connecting draft vehicles, such as trailers, Vto lead vehicles, such as automobiles.

, i It is the main object of the invention to l `provide certain improvements in that class of couplings of the type disclosed in the Mil.- ton D. Brice and Alfred L..V Brice Patent No. 1,147,844, issued July 27,1915, and also disclosed in Milton D'. Brice and Alfred L. Brice Patent No. 1,254,199, issued January 22, 1918 both of said patents being entitled Pole coupling. K Said couplings each include a ball adapted to be attached to one vehicle, as the lead vehicle, and a U-shaped socket member adapted to-be attached to another vehicle as a trailer vehicle. The U-shaped socket member' forms between its sides or prongs a concave socket adapted to engage one side of There is pivotally mounted between the prongs of the socket member a spring pressed dog having an inclined surface which projects upwardly between the prongs and is adaptedto engage the opposite *'25 side of the ball from the. socket to'retain the ball in place within the socket. 'Diiiiculty has been experienced with this` type of coupling due tothe fact that as `the lead vehicle is backed up, the entire draft weight `l of the lead vehicle must be borne-by the dog and the pivot upon which the dog is mounted. If, in backing, the draft vehicle happens to strike an obstruction such as acurb or the A like, the dog or the pivot carrying the dog 4v315 is likely to be bent or sprung to space the inclined surface of the dog normally bearing against the ball farther from the socket oi the socket member than the diameter of the A ball, whereupon during travel the ball is 49 likely to become disengaged from the socket member to release the trailer vehicle from the draft vehicle. It is, therefore, highly desirable to prevent the dog or the pivot upon which the dog is mounted from being bent or T sprung, and it is the main object of this invention to provide means in such a coupling for accomplishing these ends.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views, and, in which, I

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrate Y* ing a coupling embodying the invention;A Fig. 2 is a plan view of the-same; 'and' 1' Fig. 3 is la longitudinal section taken'substantiallyfon the line 8-#3 of Fig. 2, as-findicated bythe arrows j vReferring tothe drawing,the couplingfincludes a ball 4 having a downwardly projecting stem adapted to run -throughan opening in a bar 5, or other suitable bracket, prefer? ably attached tothe leadvehicle. ,A nut threaded on the stem of the ball may be used for clamping the ball 4 to the bar 5. Y The coupling also includes a substantially U- shaped socket member 7' having side prongs 7a and a concave socket 7 bat its forward "5 end between the side prongs 'To'. The rear ends of the prongs 7a are interconnectedtby a housing Te within which the forward vend v of a pole 8 secured as to the trailer vehicle, may fit. Nut-ted bolts 9 may be used for-attachin the pole 8tothe' housing 7 b. The socket b is adapted tofit one side of the'ball 4 as illustratedand itis also adapted to overlie part of the upper-portion of theballut.. Projecting forwardly from the housing 7 e and interconnecting theupper edges ofpfthe prongs 7a of the socket member isan upper Y web or wall 7 e. Forwardly. projecting interv nal vshoulders Tcl are formed by the side prongs 7 in rearwardlyv spaced relation from theposition of' the -ball4 andthese shoulders are preferably of arcuate contour. A pivot bolt 10 is mounted in the socket member 7 adjacent housing 7e and this pivot bolt extends between the side prongs 7a. and has pivotally mountedy thereon adog 11'. This dog has upwardly extending ears 11a adjacent its rear end through which the pivot bolt 10 extends and the dog has a normally substantially horizontally extending bottom surface which joins a forward upwardly extending oblique surface 11b having a conf cavity therein to bear against the opposite side of the ball'i from the side against-which the socket'b` bears.V .The surface 11b termi 10V are adapted at times to engage these shoul.

ders. A suitable spring 12 extending about the pivot boltlO bears against the upper *wallV and against the bottomofthe dog l1 to normally urge the free end of the dog downwardlyto bring the surface 11b into contact with theball. i 7- Attachment and detachmentof the ball 4 to and from the socket member 7 will be readily understood. VThe dog 11 will, of course, hold; the ball l4 in place to prevent disengagementrof the same from the socket 7b when the ball 4 and socket member 7 are connected. Theside wings 11d cooperating with the shoulders 7d on the prongs of the socket member7, will prevent suiiicient lstrain being placed upon the dog l1 to distort or spring the` same or lto distort or spring Ithe pivot bolt 1 0 as the `lead and trailer vehicles are backed up or as the trailer vehicle strikes an obstruction while being backedup. Thel rear edgesof the-side wings 11d will strike the shoulders 7d tov relieve the strain that would otherwise be imposediupon the dog 11 and the pivot bolt 10. ,The dog,.accordingly, cannot be sprung to such an extent as to widen the; spacing between the socket 7 b and the surface 1lb of the dog and' it will thus be impossible for the ball 4 to become disconnected from the socket member 7 unless the dog l1 is intentionally normally raised ragainst thetension of the spring l2. v

The coupling of the invention has been successfully demonstrated in actual practice.

`It will, of course, be 'understood that va.- rious changes may be made in the form,`de tails, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of the present invention, which, generally stated, consists inthe matter shown and de,- scribed .and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is A l. In a coupler, the combination vwith a ball, ofv an approximately U-shaped socket member having a socket engaging one side of said ball, a ball-clamping dog located 'between the prongs of said socket member and pivoted thereto forengagement with the opf posite side of said ball,'the prongs of said socket'member having shoulders integrally formed thereon and saidy dog having integral wings at its sides closely,l adjacent said shoulders for engagement therewith.

2. In a coupler, the combination with a ball, of an approximately U-shaped socket member having a socket engaging one side of said ball, a ball clamping dog located between the prongs of said socket member and pivoted thereto, the said dog at its free end having an oblique upwardly extending surface adapted to engage the opposite side of said ball, the prongsof said socket having internal shoulders formed integrallyvthereon and said dog having integral side wings terminatingadjacent said shoulders for engagement therewith.,` i.'

p In a coupler, the combination of a ball, a substantially U-shaped socket member havlng a socketl engaging one side of the ball, a ball clamping dog located between the prongs of said socket memberand pivoted thereto, the said dog at its free end having an oblique upwardly extending surface adapted to engage the other side of said ball, a spring urging said dog into engagement with said ball,

the prongs of said socket having integral internal shoulders and said dog having integral Side flanges terminating adjacent said shoulgers and adapted to engage with 4said shoulers. f

4. The-structure deiinedV in .claim 3, said shoulders being arcuately curved relativeto the pivot for said dog. Y Y i l 5. In a coupler, the combination of a ball, a substantially U-shaped socket-member having a socket engaging one side of the ball, a ball clamping doglocated between the prongs of said socketmember and pivoted thereto, said dog at its free end having an oblique upwardly extendingsurface adapted toy engage the other side of said ball, a spring urging said dog into engagement with said ball, said dog having a rearwardly facing 4surface thereon, and. said socket vmember having a forwardly facing surface thereon, said surfaces being arranged to `abut Aeach other to prevent the imposition of rearwardpressure upon the medial vand rearward portions of said dog. Y

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEON Ln norn'rionns i 

